Withered Aegis
The Withered Aegis is a Nation of madness. It's people are outcasts, throwaways, demons, and undead, and as such it is a hugely varied and chaotic melting pot of cultures, peoples, minds, and desires. It inhabits or, some say, infests, parts of Western Aradoth, the mountains and lands of Eastern Aradoth, as well as various outposts within Aradoth itself. It also has headquarters in the Verxihonna desert in between Lantania and Xin, using the port town of Foul Bay as its connection between the Aradoth and Lantanian factions. Small, single-person portals connect various places with each other, though larger portals connect to the Realm of Blight and the Main Headquarters. Travel is usually done via undead of some sort, or by magic. History The Aegis was started by Torrin Macalir and his band of exiled ex-nobles, mages, ex-servants, and their families from Dalimond. Many were former members of the Executive Office – a sort of secret magic police that protected the kingdom of Dalimond from threats bizzare and otherworldly, as well as magical or entombed. However, after the civil war, they fell out of favor and were thrown into exile or killed. After a long march through the harsh tundra, chased by mercenaries, those that did not perish or become the first Fiends finally found someplace that was reasonably hospitable: the barrier mountains between the lands of the Satyr and the main body of Aradoth. After conflict with the Fyakki, the evil spider beings of that land, they settled in. But they were angry at being chased from their homes by the new king, and at having their purpose tarnished and thrown away. Taking on the name of Withered Aegis – to represent both their former role as the shield of the kingdom, and the necromancy that got them kicked out, they began working towards revenge. So began the long war with Aradoth, which has not quite ended, though it has taken some... interesting... turns. Although they almost overran Aradoth at one point, currently the war is at a standstill, with the death of Torrin Macalir and the advent of the Gifted of Aradoth causing some reshuffling and figuring out of power and policies, not helped by the general madness of the Aegis and its higher-ranking members. Government: As an entity, The Aegis is run in a semi-Feudal Beurocratically chaotic manner based on magical power and rank. Whether undead or not, these ranks influence how people react. They are noted on an identity card that all Aegis citizens carry to mark them as Aegis. In the Aegis controlled lands, this is a basic who-are-you, what-are-you, and should-I-listen-to-you: It has the person's name, their job, their rank, their primary faction (if any), where they were educated, who they apprenticed with (at all), and who they work for. Its an honest introduction, a dog-tag, and a symbol of Authority, all rolled into one. When travelling outside of Aegis territory, this ID card is necessary to return to the Aegis lands safely, to not be attacked by Aegis skirmishers and raiders, and to determine various other bureaucratic things. Carrying it with them, however, puts them at risk of being discovered and executed by people who are at war with the Aegis, so they are typically cleverly hidden, even by people who have 'retired' from Aegis life/unlife. Ranks: *Student Necromancer: A basic initiate, usually young. They go to school and learn the basics and whatever else they want to learn. *Apprentice Necromancer: Technically, they are the same as a Student Necromancer, but they have a patron who is teaching them/taking them on as well, usually of Greater or higher rank. Often, when they graduate, they will work for that necromancer, usually closely. *Lesser Necromancer: The regular rank-and-file civilians of the Aegis have this rank after graduating from their classes. They do not necessarily do necromancy in their day to day lives or jobs, but any Aegis citizen knows how to raise and control undead. *Greater Necromancer: These have risen a bit higher and now have some measure of power of their own, either in their own right or over others. Again, they may not necessarily be necromancers or do necromancy as part of their job, but they are expected to know it *Lieutenant Necromancer: These are the high-ranking second in commands, often in charge of their own territories within their Grand Necromancer's territory. They have pretty much free reign, furthering their own and their masters ends, whatever that might be... and honestly it can be anything. *Grand Necromancer: These are high ranking officials, the governing body of the necromancer branch of the Aegis. They make the main decisions and such. They often have very definite goals or motives, which they go to great, almost unnatural, lengths to pursue. Some consider them to have lost their humanity/basic morality in some way (Like Fae). Others think this is nonsense. All agree to either work with them or get out of the way. *Traitors: those go to the Aegis from either the Aradothean Empire or from Lantania are trained in sort of a crash course on necromancy's basics and thereafter hold the same rank as a Lesser necromancer and advance accordingly, though they are more like specialists than anything. However, they are rarely trusted by people brought up in the Aegis. Some betray their countries out of ideology, some for power, and others for the offer of another chance in their life. Those in the latter category often work for the Aegis for a time, then retire to a quiet life, either in Aegis lands or Non-Aegis lands. *Retirees: People who have decided that they are for the Aegis but that war is not for them. They seek a quiet life after some required years of service and are provided a sort of starter-fund to get them started, and a new identity – whatever they need. They can come back at any time, and are usually not forced to betray any new friends they make except under extremely necessary circumstances. This makes the offers of the Aegis very tempting for people, such as ex-convicts in the convict legions, who have no hope of a good life or a second chance otherwise. People who actually betray the Aegis are not considered Traitors – they are considered, often, important tools to influence the country they defect to. If they are quiet, they are left alone. If they are not quiet, they are monitored. Sometimes they may be eliminated. Other times, fed false information and manipulated. And still other times, they may be eliminated through subtle means by the very country they turn to. Should they choose to return, they may be welcomed back into the fold. If they are spies/double agents, they may be misinformed and manipulated, but they are typically welcomed. Locations of note: Aradoth Western Deadlands ' A Aegis holdout in Aradoth, they use this area as a staging field for harassment and some development. It is slowly being retaken for the Empire with the help of the Dryads, but the Aegis are doing a lot of damage with the ghosts they pull from the haunted, ancient, former battleground and they've pretty much gotten what they want from the land anyway at this point. 'Eastern Deadlands ' A vast, blighted, poisonous wasteland beyond the village of Harro that leads all the way to the Barrier Mountains. This is the main 'homeland' so to speak of the Withered Aegis, and is home to their strongest troops, as well as the greater expanses of the Warrens, Trashheap, and the Headquarters. The line between the Harro Front and the Deadlands has shifted slightly, but it isn't moving and the Empire's hold is tenuous. 'The Observatory ' The Observatory is a conquered/stolen gnomian research facility that is now used by the Aegis for teaching, R&D, and Astronomy. Although one of their less-guarded establishments, the technology it holds has held off and destroyed any attempts to retake the valuable facility. 'Main Headquarters ' Nestled by the western ridges of the Barrier Mountains are the central facilities of the Aegis, including the meeting chambers, the library, production facilities, and various official recordkeeping archives and areas. 'The Keeps Most if not all Grand Necromancers have their own mansions. Scattered, sort of, throughout Aradoth, these keeps serve as centers for their respective workforces, duties, and interests, and as a convenient place to coordinate their segments of the Aegis army and their territory. Each territory is functionally different, like organs in the greater, rotting, body of the Withered Aegis. Trashheap ' Trashheap is the Aegis version of Bristugo. It is a colorful, smelly, trading hub full of whatever anybody may desire. Run by nobody, it is also home to many faction headquarters and, recently, guilds, as well as people who don't like reporting to other people. 'The Warrens ' A massive cave system running primarily under the East of Aradoth, many necromancers call it home or run their shops or operations from there. A city in its own right, it has connections and branches, built or natural, all over Aradoth, allowing necromancers to easily skulk around. It has its secrets, and even in the Aegis, and few in the Aegis or Empire are aware of the sheer extent of the Warren's corridors. 'The Blighted Crescent ' Most of the Withered Aegis does not need food. Some do, and food is fairly scarce and heavily rationed, with rings of Sustenance being a common item to offset this. Blighted land does not grow most crops well (that are edible anyway), so this land, once a part of the Satyr empire, has been preserved as farmland and is fairly operational. It provides any of the food-and-material stuffs that the Aegis doesn't simply steal or intimidate out of the Empire. 'Draak ' Located in the oceans of Southwest Aradoth, the ancient formerly-dragon university of Draak is still in operation. It even uses some of the old teachers, albeit undead and bound and enslaved to continue teaching. Some of its former students are around too, in the form of young, animated, dragon corpses. Aside from these unpleasantries, it is the main place of learning for old and young necromancers and traitors alike, teaching basic to advanced classes in necromancy, anatomy, history, demonology, and anything else a school would teach. 'Old Rachival ' The conquered gnomian city of Rachival is protected from attempts by its refugees and its allies to take it back by artillery on its walls and the undead defenders roaming its streets. Although some schooling is done here, it is the major R&D hub for the withered Aegis. Despite being conquered for the better part of two centuries and been thorougly defiled, it still holds many secrets. 'The Satyr Isles Once a part of the Saytr's empire, the 'Tail' isles of the Scorpion archepelago also housed the control cores that kept the Satyr mentally enslaved for generations. Though the Empire successfully freed the Satyr and broke the control cores, they were unable to hold the isles due to the ferocious undead population. It is still home to some of the other schooling facilities as well as a major hub for the espionage and intelligence rings of the Aegis. The Realm of Blight ' The Dukes of Blight allied with the Aegis, and their realm is considered a part of the alliance. Demons, Unculled or otherwise, hail from here, as do many undead under the duke of Undeath's control, Blighted spirits, Blight monsters, and other foul spawn. Lantania 'Verxihonna Desert Headquarters In the vast desert, not far from Foul Bay, the Aegis has set up its fortress and command headquarters for its operations in Lantania. Its simple and somewhat crude by Aradothean standards, but it does its job of sheltering archives and managing bureaucracy well enough. Foul Bay ' Foul Bay is the point of connection between the Lantanian and Aradothean Headquarters. A port town, it houses many of the Aegis's navy and ghost ships, preparing them for patrol around the Eastern Ocean. It is also where supplies and reinforcements are shipped in, and other goods are shipped out. Factions: Pain and revenge was what birthed the Aegis and moved it forward. It has since become larger than that. Revenge is still one of the goals of the Aegis, but so is power, and other goals are now as numerous as the people within it. Their ultimate endgame is unknown, but their means have not changed: Using Necromancy, Dark magic, demons, and other unsavory things, they seek to get their way... whatever that might be. Though they ultimately work together, the different factions within it have their own agendas and goals, some of which may benefit society in general, be it Lantanian or Aradothean. Aradoth-based Factions Necromancer Factions The Necromancers of the Aegis handle making and controlling undead, but they are only one group of many. Usually alive, sometimes undead, they have the most varied ideas. '''The Old Cabal ' The old cabal is the general term for the original necromancers that were a part of the original exile group, and those that agree with their ideals and traditions. They are usually very old, if still alive, and very powerful, and there is a prejudice favoring humans, those who come from Dalimond in particular. They believe in the old ways, rites, and traditions, and also support the continuation of the war, not feeling they need a reason other than how they were treated during their exile. They are generally considered old-fashioned, for good or ill. 'The New Cabal ' The New Cabal considers itself the future of the Withered Aegis. Primarily made up of people who were kidnapped and grew up in the Aegis, they believe that the old ways are old and should be swept away by the new – new ideas, new blood, and new policies. Young and vibrant, the New Cabal is very popular and, in some ways, crazier than the Old Cabal. '''The Shield The secretive faction calling themselves The Shield believe that the Withered Aegis is still the Executive Office, beneath the maniacal laughter and outright evil. They believe that the Aegis is still protecting of the ordinary folk of the mortal world from horrible dark terrors and evil plots, but that it is doing so very subtly: They believe that the true purpose of the Withered Aegis is to give evil a laughing, grinning, cartoonish face that people can see, hate, and fight against, while outcompeting some of the more sinister cults and entities out there that the empire doesn't know about or has forgotton. The Shield, of course, takes this one step further and actively roots out and thwarts other evils. They fight demon-worshipping dragon cults in the sewers of Dalimond, rogue necromancer-bandits in the wild roads of Feladan, Rampaging demons or things worse than demons, and infestations of haunted energy. Though they don't actively oppose their nation, they see themselves as being the ones to nudge its plans towards less successful paths. The Progressives The Progressives are members of the New Cabal who believe that the world is moving forward, and it is time to move with it. They seek to change society for the 'better', both in the Aegis and in the Empire. Most just find them annoying. The Recruiters ' The Recruiters, led by Grand Necromancer Eliza Mitchkopf, are in charge of capturing young children of various species to join the Aegis, as fertility is severely effected by blight magic. They recruit any child they feel like grabbing, spiriting them away to her keep to be taken care of there or sent to other recruiters, but they are most attracted to children in need or in desperate or dire straights. Lost, abused, maltreated, starving, and orphaned, these children find some hope in the Aegis. '''The Apocalyptists ' These necromancers ally with the demons and the realm of blight and seek to bring about the end of the world. The prospect usually thrills them in some way, and they seek obscure prophesies and less obscure means of bringing about their goal, and prefer to work for the armies of the Aegis. '''The Hedonists A sister group to the Apocalyptists, the Hedonists believe that the world is about to end and that they get to just enjoy themselves. They tend to be debauched and disturb less revel-driven necromancers. The Isolationists ' The Isolationists believe that the war should end and the Aegis, and those it murders and rescues, should live in meditative peace and isolation with their forbidden knowledges, not interacting in any way – positive or negative – with any other nation. 'The Miracle-Workers ' The Miracle-workers are the equivalent of the Red Cross. They are well regarded as healers and doctors, and have recently banded together. Their desire and impulse to do-no-harm is respected due to their almost miraculous feats of healing, medicine, and necromancy. They have banded together for mutual support due to the anxiety issues of its members. Other Factions: '''The Blight ' The Realm of Blight and its Dukes (most of them) seek to corrupt and ravage the mortal world and bring about the end of the world and the return of their 'Mother' Gaphneziphori. To this goal, they provide reinforcements and magic to the Aegis. 'The Unculled ' Demons traditionally kill and eat the weak or peaceful of their kind, but Torrin Macalir recognized that the physically weak of the demons might have other strengths. He began rescuing demons that had potential in other fields and setting them up in the Aegis. These demons have gone on to do some unusual things, like tailoring, managing a postal system of rats, sorcery, and various other professions. They, in turn, started a support group for these demon outcasts, which has been arranging for culling rescues in the wake of Torrin Macalir's death. Though they possess many demonic/devilish traits and natural weapons, and find it hard to blend in with mortals, they are immensely grateful to be alive, have a deep respect for Torrin Macalir and his cause, and try to stay out of the way of their buffer, 'fitter', brethren. 'The Vashhi ' The secretive undead Vulture Folk and their pets have their own agendas and motives that are unknown to any others. They seem like helpful servants but... are they? 'The Fyakki ' The cruel, stinging, magic-using spider folk are their own nation, though the Aegis crushed them into submission long before it was the Aegis. They support the Aegis in its goals, but many necromancers do not trust them. '''The Cult of Atmi The strange, blighted ratfolk that form the cult of Atmi-Lasoathim, duke of suffering and burden, have their own agenda, as does their diety. Their motives, however, are secret. 'Blights Edge ' The only newspaper that covers issues on both sides of the war, or – rather – the only 'official' newspaper outside of New Rachival, it provides accurate, free news to people in the Aegis and in the Empire, and is dedicated to telling the truth about authority and the world. Lantanian-based Factions 'The Lantanian Colony ' The Lantanian Colony is made up of primarily Aradothean necromancers who attempt to run and organize the Lantanian branch of the Aegis. They are often accused of being corrupt, racist, speciest, incompetant, and of only caring about Aradothean interests. They are correct. 'The Usi-O ' The Usi-O, both Straw Tribe and Ragged Tribe, keep to themselves among the Aegis, interacting with them only when it is necessary or required. They have their own Xin-towns in Trashheap and the Blighted Crescent, and their own politics and even their own forms of undeath. They seek unification with the other tribes of the Usi-O and alliance with their god, who they still worship. Some comet tribe Usi-O can also be found attempting to keep contact with family in the Aegis, but they do not agree with what the Straw Tribe did. Lately, they have been opening up slightly and making more contact with the rest of the nation. The Followers of Altamon The Followers of Altamon are Altamnians (and some humans) in Northern Lantania and the Aegis who believe that the Aegis is an excellent means to their end of waking their ancient titan master Altamon and destroying the gods. They have a sister cult in Aradoth, who they respect and would love to ally with, but they are reluctant to contact them because of that cult's dislike of the Aegis. 'The Lantanian Progressives ' The Lantanian progressives were born of a desire to use the power that was gained in the Aegis to fix problems, social and otherwise, with their home societies of Lantania. Similar to the Aradothean progressives, they are very happy to work together on many issues. They are also allied with the Hand of Freedom, as slavery is an issue in many of the societies of Lantania (though not all). However, they prefer less-violent forms of resolution. The Hand of Freedom The hand of freedom was born from the desire of ex slaves to end slavery. Some have different views of Aegis slavery: some believe that the use of Undead is acceptable if the soul is not bound, some don't mind the soul being bound, some wouldnt mind indenture to pay off a debt, and others are against all forms of exploitation whatsoever. Either way, they are opposed to chronic, living slavery and work together to stop it. With contacts throughout Lantania as well as the Aegis, they use any means available to free, protect, and rescue enslaved persons throughout the land. They are often violent, or use other methods such as blackmail and other such unpleasantries. To them, the end always justifies the means. Though their efforts have been mostly relegated to the lands of Lantania, alliance with the Aradothean Progressives has caused them to spread some tendrils of influence into Aradoth as well. A note: They do not like or trust Altamnians.